Oil Cooler

ABSTRACT

An oil cooler, in particular for hydraulic oil, which is composed of spaced-apart cooling plates which are in the form of a parallelepiped-shaped package ( 1 ), said plates separating coolant channels and oil channels from each other. Connections ( 3, 4 ) for supplying and removing the oil and the coolant are provided on the front side ( 2 ) of the plate package, and filter plates ( 4 ) are arranged upstream from the plate package on the other side ( 5 ) of the plate package. The measurements of the filter plates essentially correspond to the measurements of the cooling plates. The filter plates are detachably connected to the plate package via a closing face plate ( 1 ′). The filter plates are transversed by oil openings, which are connected to the oil inlet opening ( 2 ′) in the closing face plate and to an oil inlet opening ( 2 ″) in the plate package.

The invention relates to an oil cooler, in particular for hydraulic fluid.

Customarily such oil coolers are constructed in the form of a parallelepiped-shaped package of spaced-apart plates, which separate cooling medium channels and fluid channels from each other, wherein connectors for feeding and removing the fluid and the coolant are provided at the face ends of the package.

The aim of the invention is to improve such a plate cooler in such a way that it can simultaneously perform a filter function. The oil cooler in accordance with the invention is distinguished in that filter plates are arranged at one face end upstream of the plate package, whose dimensions substantially correspond to the dimensions of the cooler plates and which are releasably connected with the plate package by means of a closing face plate, and through which fluid throughput openings extend, which are in connection with a fluid inlet opening in the plate package front face.

It is possible in this way to perform filtering of the inflowing or outflowing fluid, so that a separate filter arranged upstream or downstream of the plate cooler can be omitted in an advantageous manner.

Support plates made of a wire mesh or the like are preferably arranged between the filter plates. Within the context of the invention and in a constructively simple manner, threaded bolts which keep the filter package together have been passed through the filter plates and, if desired, through the support plates.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained in greater detail in what follows, making reference to the drawings which, in

FIG. 1, represent a plate cooler in accordance with the invention in an exploded view, and represent perspective views of the oil cooler in accordance with the invention in the assembled state in FIGS. 2 and 3.

As FIG. 1 shows, the hydraulic fluid cooler constructed of parallel plates is composed of a plate package 1, forming fluid channels and cooling medium channels and having a substantially parallelepiped shape. The plates are soldered together at their circumferential edges. Fluid channels and cooling medium channels extend through the package, for which connectors 3 or 4 are provided at a front face 2 of the package.

In the represented example, four filter plates 6 have been arranged upstream of a front face 5 of the plate package 1, which are sealingly connected with each other at their circumferential edges 6′ and are connected with a closing front plate 1′ by means of threaded bolts 7. These filter plates 6 contain diagonally oppositely located through-openings 6′′′ for the fluid, and are connected with a fluid entry opening 2′ in the closing front plate 1′ and a fluid inlet opening 2′′in the plate package front face 5. The circumferential edges 6′ are made of rubber or plastic and the actual filter medium 6′′ of a paper or plastic mat. Additional support plates 8 made of a plastic or steel wire mesh can be arranged between the filter plates 6. Only one of these plates is represented in the example shown. The support plate 8 can also be integrated into the filter plate.

The operating pressure of such a cooler lies between 14 and 20 bar and can amount to up to 30 bar. The appropriate number of filter plates 4 is arranged upstream of the actual plate cooler as a function of the filter output and flow-through amount and its installation height is varied by means of this. 

1. An oil cooler, in particular for hydraulic fluid, which is constructed in the form of a parallelepiped-shaped package of spaced-apart cooling plates, which separate cooling medium channels and fluid channels from each other, wherein connectors for feeding and removing the fluid and the coolant are provided on a face of the plate package, plates 6 arranged upstream of the plate package (1) on another face (5) of the plate package, wherein the dimensions of the filter plates substantially correspond to the dimensions of the cooling plates and the filter plates are releasably connected with the plate package (1) by means of a closing face plate (1′), and wherein fluid throughput openings (6″’) extend through the filter plates, which openings are in connection with a fluid inlet opening (2′) in the closing face plate (1′), and with a fluid inlet opening (2″) in the other face of the plate package.
 2. The oil cooler in accordance with claim 1, further comprising support plates (8) made of a wire mesh arranged between the filter plates (6).
 3. The oil cooler in accordance with claim 1, further comprising threaded bolts (7), which clamp the filter plates together, passed through the filter plates (6) and fixed in place on the closing face plate (1′).
 4. The oil cooler in accordance with claim 2, further comprising threaded bolts (7), which clamp the filter plates together, passed through the filter plates (6) and support plates, and fixed in place on the plate package front face (1′) 